Sad day on my farm

[BeenSpur'd]

I went out to feed up this morning and discovered that the four, six week old chicks that I hatched in the incubator were killed by something last night. I don't know how they did it, they were in a big and strong metal cage on a wagon next to the chicken coop. It was their third night out since I moved them from out of the farmhouse. I had incubated the eggs because a snake had been going in there and stealing eggs that I left for the hen to sit on. I was just trying to let them grow a little bigger before I moved them in with the rooster and hen. What ever got them pulled one of them out of the cage and left the other three in there with neck wounds. The spaces on the cage are not that big so it must of been awfully traumatic. Whatever that something was that did this is going to be trapped and disposed of. I spent a lot of time raising these guys. I guess I will have to try again, I get an egg a day from the hen. I bought the hen and rooster from the county fair last year, it took five months for them to settle down in their new home, they got traumatized from being on display and I think last night set them back again. Anyhow, gotta go dig some graves:(

Originally Posted by BeenSpur'd

I went out to feed up this morning and discovered that the four, six week old chicks that I hatched in the incubator were killed by something last night. I don't know how they did it, they were in a big and strong metal cage on a wagon next to the chicken coop. It was their third night out since I moved them from out of the farmhouse. I had incubated the eggs because a snake had been going in there and stealing eggs that I left for the hen to sit on. I was just trying to let them grow a little bigger before I moved them in with the rooster and hen. What ever got them pulled one of them out of the cage and left the other three in there with neck wounds. The spaces on the cage are not that big so it must of been awfully traumatic. Whatever that something was that did this is going to be trapped and disposed of. I spent a lot of time raising these guys. I guess I will have to try again, I get an egg a day from the hen. I bought the hen and rooster from the county fair last year, it took five months for them to settle down in their new home, they got traumatized from being on display and I think last night set them back again. Anyhow, gotta go dig some graves:(

Aaawww, that's terrible!

[RareBreed]

How terrible for you and those poor chicks. I hope you find out what killed them.

[Radiant1]

Sorry to hear about your chicks. If you actually trap a creature could you let me know what it was? I lost both of my ducks, the female was basically beheaded by the neck (!) with no other sign of trauma and the male simply disappeared.

It might be the numerous foxes we have in the area but I would have thought that they would devour the duck for food, not just injure it and leave it for dead. I was told that opossums are known to suck blood out of fowl by the neck but not sure how accurate that is.

Originally Posted by Radiant1

Sorry to hear about your chicks. If you actually trap a creature could you let me know what it was? I lost both of my ducks, the female was basically beheaded by the neck (!) with no other sign of trauma and the male simply disappeared.

It might be the numerous foxes we have in the area but I would have thought that they would devour the duck for food, not just injure it and leave it for dead. I was told that opossums are known to suck blood out of fowl by the neck but not sure how accurate that is.

You know you guys are giving me the heebie jeebies.

[Radiant1]

Originally Posted by Mousebaby

You know you guys are giving me the heebie jeebies.

Sorry!

Keep your babies inside or well protected, there are vampire creatures that roam at night!

Originally Posted by Radiant1

Sorry!

Keep your babies inside or well protected, there are vampire creatures that roam at night!

Apparently so! Makes me rethink letting my doggies out at night!

[Hessian]

seems to me that our ancestors had a different view of life & death...because they regularly faced the unknown and accepted it as part of nature.
Did it frustrate them? Absolutely-to tears MANY times but, there was this sense of inevitablity,...I will lose part of my crop to raccoons & deer, the sacks of grain will succumb to mice & rats, hens will be snatched by weasels & foxes & snakes....
Those were pretty tough people-in more than one way.

I am sorry for your loss,...you have experienced what has been felt millions of times before.

[Dougstermd]

Originally Posted by RareBreed

How terrible for you and those poor chicks. I hope you find out what killed them.

yeah so they can kill it!!!!!

Originally Posted by BeenSpur'd

I went out to feed up this morning and discovered that the four, six week old chicks that I hatched in the incubator were killed by something last night. I don't know how they did it, they were in a big and strong metal cage on a wagon next to the chicken coop. It was their third night out since I moved them from out of the farmhouse. I had incubated the eggs because a snake had been going in there and stealing eggs that I left for the hen to sit on. I was just trying to let them grow a little bigger before I moved them in with the rooster and hen. What ever got them pulled one of them out of the cage and left the other three in there with neck wounds. The spaces on the cage are not that big so it must of been awfully traumatic. Whatever that something was that did this is going to be trapped and disposed of. I spent a lot of time raising these guys. I guess I will have to try again, I get an egg a day from the hen. I bought the hen and rooster from the county fair last year, it took five months for them to settle down in their new home, they got traumatized from being on display and I think last night set them back again. Anyhow, gotta go dig some graves:(

Killed ...not eaten..how weird is that!!!
How tight was the wire on the cage?
Or better yet, how big was the wire?
2x2, 2x4, 1x1,
Sounds like a cat!!!!